Michigan

Ohio's Lake Erie islands and Put-In-Bay are action packed for summer

Courtesy photoPut-In-Bay Resort and the Perry Monument from high above Lake Erie.

Need some island time ... with an edge? Then let your hair down and drop in on Put-In-Bay, a resort destination on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, 30 minutes east of Toledo.

Boat owners can reach the Lake Erie Islands in two hours from Detroit; everyone else can climb aboard the Jet Express Ferry for a 10-minute ride from Port Clinton, Ohio. The Jet Express can also ferry travelers 20 miles east to the Cedar Point Amusement Park.

There’s been action and adventure in this western basin of Lake Erie since one of the deciding battlse of the War of 1812 took place one mile offshore of Put-In-Bay. Commodore Oliver Perry, leading small, outgunned ships, defeated a British Royal Navy fleet. “We have met the enemy, and they are ours,” wrote Perry to his general.

When Perry “put the ships in the bay,” the name “Put-In-Bay” was born, according to Tom Brady, who has been promoting the 3-mile-by-2-mile island for 30 years. From atop the island’s high-rise Perry National Monument, visitors can see the entire island chain, as well as portions of Ohio, Michigan and Canada.

History is mixed in with the fun: Put-in-Bay’s mini-golf course is called "The War of 18 Holes."

“Each hole has a plaque with a little history lesson. One of the holes, for instance, points out nearby ‘Perry’s Cave’ where the sailors hid from the elements. You can tour that, too,” Brady said. “Young people are being educated here, and they don’t even know it.”

Kids will also like the fact that most of the attractions can be managed on foot, though it’s fun to buzz around the island on the four-person golf carts available for rent. A visit and tour of the Heineman Winery, with its’ cave and garden, is a must, especially since its young vintage of island wine is drinkable at $6 per bottle.

Another must is the seafood dinner with a view on the Upper Deck at The Boardwalk, which overlooks the harbor and other islands; it's gorgeous at sunset.

Overnight lodging options include the Put-in-Bay Resort and Conference Center, which has a lively swim-up-bar pool and hot tub. Put-in-Bay by dark offers quaint and colorful waterfront bars, restaurants, live music and nightlife.

Entertainer Pat Dailey sings salty Great Lakes songs to interactive, raucous crowds at The Boathouse Saloon, next to the ferry dock, every Saturday night in July, August and part of September.